


that one with the birthday party

by what_the_gosh_dang



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, its funny i promise, they go to a club and dan gets drunk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-13
Updated: 2015-10-13
Packaged: 2018-04-26 04:16:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4989877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/what_the_gosh_dang/pseuds/what_the_gosh_dang
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Phil and Dan head to a club for Phil’s old high school friend's birthday. What could possibly go wrong?</p>
            </blockquote>





	that one with the birthday party

“Dan hurry up, we’re going to be late if you keep this up!” Phil shouted outside of his roommate’s door.

“But I can’t decide, Phil! I don’t know which black shirt to wear: the one that says I’m bored or the one that says I’m depressed? They both fit so well.” Dan replied as he pondered on the two shirts that he laid upon his bed.

“Either one will be fine, all of your shirts look the same to me anyway. And it won’t be that bad, don’t think that way!”

Dan just shrugged as he continued dramatically contemplating his shirt choices.

Today was Phil’s high school friend, Ian’s, birthday, and Phil was called, surprisingly, to be invited to a club in downtown London where his party would be held; With that being said, Phil was able to take one guest.

His guest of choice, however, didn’t want anything to do with parties or other people or going outside to downtown London of all places for a person he didn’t even know. But as soon as Phil brought up food and alcohol, Dan was all for it. Though Dan said that was his reason in front of Phil, no matter what it was, if it was for Phil, Dan would do it for sure, no questions asked. However, that didn’t mean he would like it.

“I think I’ll go with the depressed black. It’ll go with how I’ll feel.” Dan decided as he slipped his black eclipse shirt over his head. He quickly brushed his fingers through his hair to make sure he at least seemed semi-presentable and opened the door, hurrying to the kitchen, Phil following closely behind.

“Oh come on,” Phil scoffed at Dan’s demeanor,” the party won’t be bad, it’ll be fun! I promise you.”

“That’s easy for you to say, Phil. You’re able to talk to people without creating a life-or-death story that’s fun to tell parties. How ironic.” Dan reminded his naïve friend as he pulled the milk carton out of the fridge, and popped open the top, drinking it miraculously. Phil noticed with a stern look on his face and quickly snatched the carton out of Dan’s hand, causing Dan to frown at Phil and rush out of the kitchen to his room as Phil watched with his arms crossed.

“That’s just called your life, Dan.” Phil shouted and smirked wholeheartedly to himself as he put the milk back in the fridge.

“Whatever. Let’s just get this over with.” Dan said as he passed the kitchen doorway, eyes already glued to his phone that he had rushed upstairs to get. Phil sighed as he followed Dan right on his heels, grabbing the flat keys on the way out.

After spending an hour walking a long trek to the underground and riding to downtown, Dan and Phil were thankful to be out of the cramped underground train and out into the open downtown area. Since they don’t go downtown very often, they weren’t sure of where the club exactly was. So they started their even longer journey to find the hidden party, which consisted of a couple of phone calls to Ian, rude shopkeepers when they asked for directions, and accidentally walking into bookstores and barber shops. But after about an hour, they finally found the club with a big neon sign that illuminated ‘Lavish’.  
Because of their lack of freely strutting into the party life very often, the club for Dan and Phil was already incredibly overwhelming. The atmosphere was stuffy and sweaty, strobe lights blinded the duo simultaneously over and over again to the heavy beat that ringed all around them; a variety of girls in skimpy dresses and those who didn’t look like they even had clothes on passed by them in big groups, hollering about the boy that a girl needs to get over; everyone dancing on the dance floor looked like they were drunk: in fact, they probably were. All the tables and chairs were occupied with couple’s doing- oh god no, never mind. It also seemed that everyone leaving or coming in seemed to bump into the two of them on purpose, causing Dan to cringe every time someone else even touched him. 

Worst part: they couldn’t even begin to find Ian.

So they began pushing back on the crowd that was pushing them back. They elbowed past drunk girls yelling at their supposed boyfriends, boys grinding up on each other who could swear they were straight, girls giggling at boys that were looking at them from two tables down; And in the midst of all this, they found a table in the back where Ian sat, shots in hand, smiling and yelling with a group of  
other friends of his. 

“Hey Ian!” Phil yelled at his friend, trying to get his attention.

Ian downed two shots, hollering as they swan down his throat, and looked up at the two newcomers.

“Hey Phil! Good to see you man!” Ian shouted as he sprang up from his booth, clearly not drunk yet, and wrapped his arm around Phil’s shoulders. 

Phil laughed uncomfortably and yelled back, “Great party!”

Ian laughed, “Hey thanks man! I feel like I just turned 21 again!”

Phil started to grow into the atmosphere and laugh along with Ian, which left Dan feeling a bit more uncomfortable.

“Oh! Ian, this is my friend Dan!” Phil grabbed Dan’s arm and swung him around so that he was facing the birthday boy, leaving Dan feeling flustered.

“Hey, this is Dan! Man have I heard a lot about you! Ever since I called Phil up and told him he could bring a friend, he wouldn’t stop talking about you and how much I would like you!”  
Dan looked up from his interesting shoes, smiling slightly knowing that Phil would so do something like that: classic Phil.

Ian looked at Dan’s expression and barked out laughter.

“Hey don’t worry man, Phil says that you’re a great friend!”

‘Great friend?’ Dan thought overdramatically. ‘I know that Phil has talked about me more than just me being a great friend. God, who does this guy think he is, pretentious bastard.’ 

Dan’s temper started to boil as he continued to think more negative thoughts, letting his jealousy get the best of him. Why wouldn’t Phil say anything else about him? He knew it shouldn’t even bother him but for some reason it really, really did. Feeling even more dejected than before, Dan yelled above the pulsating music and hollering group of friends, “I’m gonna go get a drink.” And hurried off. 

Phil noticed Dan hurry off and looked back at the figure of the shrugging Dan scurry through the thick crowd. He then turned to Ian, who was back to taking shots with his friends, and yelled toward him, 

“Hey I’m gonna go look for Dan, he looked sort of upset.”

Ian choked on his shot, looking at Phil with shock and set his shot glass down, stumbling slightly over to Phil and put arm around his shoulders. 

“Phil, babe, dude, don’t worry about it,” Ian reassured Phil, “He’s probably just going to get a drink or to go to the bathroom or something. Now come on, we have years of catching up to do.” Ian grabbed Phil’s forearm and led him over to an empty table in the back, Phil looking over his shoulder to see if he could catch a glance of a depressed black shirt.

Dan tried his best to shove through the thick crowd again, which was not an easy task the second time either. Even with his ability to tower over the whole crowd, he felt small compared to the other people having a good time while he was trying to get away. However, as soon as he saw the bartender, he felt more at ease knowing that he can have to choice the drink the night away if he wanted to. Which in this case he really wanted to. For now, he pushed that choice to the side for the moment and pushed himself onto the pleather barstool and waited for the bartender to come by. 

After a while, Dan finally caught the eye of the barkeep, and he slowly made his way to the chestnut haired being. 

“So, what can I getcha?”

“I’ll take a couple tequila shots please.” Dan stated dejectedly.

“Do you want to start a tab or just pay me right now?”

Just before Dan was about to say anything, a hand reached in front of Dan and a voice behind him said, “No need, the drink is on me.”

Dan’s mouth gaped open as he looked at the face of the familiar voice and his demeanor brightened as the man sat down in the stool next to him.

“Well what the heck brings you to a club like this, PJ?”

PJ smirked at Dan and answered, “Chris called me up and asked for us to hang out and such. Said we were gonna have a ‘grand ol’ time’.” And motioned to Chris, who was on his phone in the middle of the dance floor and was surprisingly not fazed by the many actions happening around him. “But never mind me, what are you here for? Surely if you’re here, you must’ve brought Phil here too?”

Dan laughed bitterly as the bartender came back with the multiple shots, to which Dan immediately threw one down his burning throat, PJ watching confusingly. 

After the drink shoved its way down Dan’s throat, he cleared his throat and answered, “Yea I just came for the drinks.”

“Dan,” PJ stated as he shook his head. “You still haven’t answered my question.”

“Well,” Dan started, “We came here because Phil’s high school friend called him up for his birthday and asked if he wanted to come downtown to this club for the party. Phil, of course, brought me along with him even though I didn’t want to come willingly.” Dan took another shot, clearing his throat harsher this time, “So we get down here and his friend, Ian, was taking shots and was already getting too comfy with Phil, and then Phil said that I was a great friend. And it just… It just hurts so much, PJ. Why can’t he just like me back like I do? A-And what if after tonight, Phil goes home with Ian and they get together? What if he moves in with Ian and doesn’t want to be friends with me anymore?? I mean, Phil is an obviously  
gorgeous man who deserves someone-“

PJ, trying hard not making a big scene that Dan basically just told him his biggest secret, shook his head again and interrupted, “Dan, you’re such a paranoid girl sometimes.”

Dan made a raspberry sound with his lips. “PJ, what the heck are you talking about?”

PJ ran his hand over his face, sighing deeply before clearing his throat and tried again to make the point clear.

“Dan, you’re one of my best friends and I love you like a brother, but sometimes you can be a drama queen. Phil would never move out on such simple circumstances! And for you to think that even if he dates someone else, that he won’t be friends with you anymore. That’s almost so stupid I just want to smack you. I can almost guarantee that before anything important happens, Phil always has to ask your opinion on it, right?” Dan looked down at the ground, but nodded silently. In return, PJ held Dan’s head up with his index finger so he could look him in the eyes. “Look, it does suck that you love him and he doesn’t know and you’re too afraid to tell him. But no matter what happens, Daniel, Phil will always love you. Whether it be platonically or romantically, Phil loves you. That’s not gonna change. Along with you being dramatic.”

Dan drew circles on the edge of his shot glass, head still craned down in thought. After a bit of thinking, Dan gulped down 2 more shots and the rest of PJ’s drink for his own good luck, which caused PJ to sigh of Dan’s stupidity, and stumbled off of the stool. He quickly grabbed PJ’s shoulders, which caused PJ’s face to twist into confusion and worry.

“Thank you. I am just being incredibly stupid and paranoid…” His sudden change in attitude caused PJ to sigh in relief. “I have to go tell him I love him.” 

Before PJ could react, Dan quickly turned around on his heels. Due to his slight (not really slight anymore) intoxication, Dan’s body shifted to the side and tripped on the stool beside him, causing him to fall face first onto the club floor. PJ just sat on his stool, hands covering his face in second-hand embarrassment. As soon as he realized Dan wasn’t going to get on his own, PJ got up and pulled on Dan’s arms to get him standing on two feet again.

“Look Dan, maybe you don’t want to tell him right now. You’re absolutely shit-faced. Do you maybe want to think about it when you’re more than, oh I don’t know, sober??”

Dan just shook his hand and mumbled something incoherently under his breath something that sounded like ‘No’ and ‘I have to…’ and a couple other words PJ couldn’t decipher. Even with his attempt to get Dan back to the bar to sit it out, Dan easily shoved his way through PJ’s arms and towards the back to where Phil was sitting with impressive maneuvering skills through the still busy crowd.

PJ watched in defeat, running her hands through his hair. That’s when Chris decided to come over, a drink in hand, and propped his elbow onto PJ’s tall shoulder as best he could.

“So what was that all about?” Chris asked after taking a long drink through his glass.

“Well Dan is basically going to embarrass himself in front of Phil and his old high school friend by telling him either how much he loves him. And he also may or may not pee his pants because of all those drinks he had.”

Chris stared towards the back of the room to try and see Dan in the middle of the crowd and muttered, “Oh” before taking another drink.

“Well come and dance with me! You can’t be moping on whether Dan is going to embarrass himself or not. He basically does that every time he goes to a party. Then it’s a good story to tell!” Chris shouted as he offered his hand out to his friend, smirking greatly.

PJ, even though he clearly didn’t agree with Chris, decided to take his hand and was led out to the middle of the obnoxious crowd once again.

Meanwhile, Phil and Ian had moved to an unoccupied table in the back and were laughing at an old memory that Ian had brought up from high school.

When their laughing fit was over, Ian and Phil both downed another shot, which made Phil feel slightly off since he didn’t drink that often, but hey, anything to bond with an old friend. Ian groaned in the back of his throat as he struggled to down his 5th shot too many.

“Dude,” Phil exclaimed, slightly tipsy from the few shots he’s had, “Maybe you should take it down a notch. You’ve had more shots tonight than I’ve had in my entire life.”

Ian shook his head violently, struggling to keep down the alcohol that threatened to come back up. 

“Naw man, I’m fine. In fact, I’m great! I’ve got a stellar job, a fantastic flat, a great group of friends. I’m living the dream baby!” Ian shouted just a little too proudly. 

“What about a girlfriend? Are you still going out with Miranda?”

“Miranda? Hell no, we broke up.” Ian nonchalantly waved his wrist in dismissal towards Phil. 

“Oh. I’m sorry, man.” Phil gripped Ian’s shoulder in comfort. 

“No it’s nothing to be sorry about. It was my fault anyway.” Ian shrugged too easily, sipping out of his beer bottle with grief that strangely wasn’t there.

Phil looked at Ian in confusion and shouted over the on-going pulsing bass, “What do you mean?”  
“I cheated on her.” 

Phil suddenly grew angry. “Ian, why the hell would you-“

Ian’s hands slowly shot up to back Phil off, his gaze shooting right through Phil’s clouded eyes, “No man, you got it all wrong.”

“What do you mean I’VE got it all wrong?! You cheated on your girlfriend! That’s not cool, Ian." “I mean, I didn’t physically cheat on her. I mentally cheated on her.”

Phil’s face continued to contort in deeper confusion. He actually did not know what to think, and he didn’t know if it was from what Ian was saying or if it was from the alcohol still flowing in his system and clouding his brain.

Ian noticed Phil’s face and kept talking, or rather stumbling, his reason.

“I mean, I loved someone else while we were going out. I still love someone else.”

Phil let out a droning, “Oooooooohhh.” Before going back to his confused state. “But why the hell would you go out with Miranda and be in love with someone else?”

“Because they’re basically already in a relationship, Phil! I don’t want to explain it!” Ian shouted as his head snapped up from the floor right in Phil’s face.

Phil’s anger then subsided and reached out for Ian’s shoulder. However, he turned away from his touch, his back more visible to Phil.

“Look, Ian, let me give you some advice.” Phil started as he scooched closer to Ian and his rarely seen slouching form.

“You really love this person right?”

Ian nodded reluctantly.

“Then you need to fight for them. If they’re in a good relationship, then just wait a while. If they break up, you can be their shoulder to cry on and just be there for them. That’s when you can start to let your relationship bloom. And if that doesn’t work out, just move on. You’re a stunning guy. You’ll easily find a girl for you sooner or later.”

“It’s not a girl.” Ian slurred.

Phil paused for a moment, but recomposed himself seconds after. 

“Oh sorry, then you’ll find a guy that’s just right for you.”

“But he’s already so right for me. He just so… amazing.”

“Look, Ian-“

“Phil.” Ian quickly turned around to face Phil, which put Phil in an awkward place since Ian’s face was now inches away from his. Phil’s eyes grew huge, and he squeaked out, “Yes?”

Ian’s too strong tequila breath was plowing into Phil’s face. He didn’t know what to do. He was stuck. But what he couldn’t understand was why Ian would be telling him all of this. They hadn’t seen each other since high school, and this was their only night to see each other. They weren’t the closest of friends, but god if you were going to drag your high school best friend to a club, get him drunk on tequila, and move to the back of the club, at least have some motive for-

Oh. Now that’s awkward.

However, as soon as Phil had pieced everything together, Ian’s face was on his, all hot and sticky from his one too many shots. Phil’s eyes shot open in surprise and slight disgust, and just as he was about to push Ian off of him, he heard a slightly familiar voice call out to them.

“Yo, Captain Skinny-Dick.”

Next thing Phil knew, Ian was dragged away from him by the back of his t-shirt by a hammered, skinny but furious, Dan.

It’s a frenzy of grappling fists and feet as Ian tries to retaliate, he rubs his cheek and leaps forward, thumping Dan straight back in the nose.

Wincing, Dan spit out blood before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “Don’t you dare fucking touch him again, you hear me!” he screamed and launched himself forward again. “Let me GO!” he demanded, struggling against the hold. A pair of strong arms held him back from another violent outburst.

“Dan stop! You’ve done enough!” It’s that slight crack in the middle of such a usually strong voice that snapped Dan out of his rage. He turned around to see the mist forming in his best friend’s eyes, and that’s when he feels his right arm flashing in pain and a “Alright, you psycho, you’re out of here” in his ear as he’s dragged away from the crime scene, his best friend following closely behind.

Moments later, Dan is crouched against the wall of the diner a couple of blocks away from the club he can still feel rattling in his nerves. Phil is also with him, but instead he’s pacing in front of him, figuring out what to say next after their 10 minutes of straight silence. Dan did not want to admit, because PJ was right. He wasn’t ready. But Phil was.

“Dan,” Phil sighed deeply. “What the actual hell were you thinking? You’ve never punched anybody out of such pure malice in your entire life! Why decide now of all times to release pent up anger?”

“It wasn’t just fucking pent up anger, Phil.” Dan mumbled into his knees, his head swimming with leftover intoxicants.

“Then what the fuck was it, Dan?” Phil shouted. Now Dan was actually worried. Phil never cussed unless it was absolutely serious. “You had no right to punch him!”

“He kissed you, Phil!” Dan shouted back, his voice filled with more anger than before. “What else was I supposed to fucking do, just let him take advantage of you like that?!” Phil’s face grew with shock, but Dan wasn’t done yet. “He had no right to do that! No fucking right to do that in front of the only person who would do something about it, that was his mistake! Now look what he did to us…”

“There is no us!” Phil yelled back.

“EXACTLY!” Dan roared unexpectedly, standing to his feet too quickly. An awkward silence falls on them and Phil’s eyes widen at the context of Dan’s deafening statement. “And THAT! That is the worst fucking part.” Dan’s voice began to soften. “Because I am so in love with you I can’t even breathe, and you just go with your day absolutely naïve to the fact and it hurts way too much for me to cope with it.”

“With what?” Phil whispered.

“With the fact that you don’t love me back.” Dan whispered as he gritted his teeth, his own words sour as they passed through them. It took 3 simple sentences for Dan to feel like utter shit, and for the first time in his life, Dan is left speechless and terribly unsatisfied. 

As was Phil.

His face was scarily blank; Dan didn’t know what to think. He couldn’t scoff and leave because he had no idea how to get home, and he couldn’t ask Phil what he was thinking because if he did, Dan thought he would puke instead.

Just as Dan was about to accept the fact that Phil was never going to say anything else, he began to sit back down against the rugged brick wall when he felt himself slam into it instead, followed by another pair of lips slamming into his. Phil’s. The scent of too many vodka shots with a slight tinge of raspberry wafting through his nose as he breathed in and sighed into the kiss. And as it becomes more heated and desperate, Dan runs his tongue across Phil’s bottom lip and that’s when he realized. 

This is love.

This is what love is supposed to feel like: coming completely undone in front of the other person and  
having no regrets.

He and Phil pull apart slowly in a desperate and slightly breathless heap, but they still managed to smile with each other.

“I-“Dan began to apologize.

“Please don’t, Dan.” Phil interrupted softly. “I shouldn’t have led you on like that.”

Dan opened his mouth to say something else but was cut off by Phil attaching his lips to his again. It was short and sweet, but it got Dan to shut up.

“I shouldn’t have let you believe that I didn’t love you too. Because my god I do, I love you so much.” Phil whispered, his forehead resting lightly against Dan’s.

“But I still want to apologize, I was way out of line.” Dan mumbles, leaning more into Phil’s embrace.

“Shhh it’s okay, you don’t have to be sorry.” Phil whispered as he kissed the top of Dan’s head lightly.  
“Because Ian means nothing to me now and whatever he does from here on out is his problem and I just love you too much to keep it in anymore.”

“God, I am never going to get tired of hearing you say that.” Dan laughed, his head shaking in disbelief.

“Good, because I don’t think I’m ever going to stop”

And Phil sounds so bold and so proud and Dan is still so nervous and so not ready to believe its true, but it is. Because this time it’s right. He knows it.

“I don’t think I will either.”


End file.
